DocBauer

I know full well that the results of the MLB draft will take at least a couple of years before we see any sort of results. And even then, if you get 3 quality, viable ML players out of 20/21 selections you've done well. But I just love the process and the potential to speculate on. Really looking forward to what the Twins do. I could see them closing a prep SS that can STICK there for a young option to develop behind Culpepper, with no disrespect to DeAndrade. And I understand the idea that has been discussed on the podcast that this might be the year for the Twins to roll the dice a bit on projection. The system is deep enough to afford a potential swing and miss that could pay high dividends if they guess right. I see no way Irish falls to 16, but even though I generally agree with not drafting catchers in the 1st round unless they are special, I think Irish might turn out that way. I like him because the BAT plays even if he can't stick as a backstop, for whatever reason, and moves to the OF or even 1B. But MY IDEA of taking a swing and miss is to grab a more ready made college pitcher that they can develop instead of their previous MO of finding developmental arms later on. My ideal #1 is Tyler Bremner. Before the season began he was top 10, if not top 5. The talent is still there. He already sits 94-95? He might sit 96-97 a year from now. He's already got a good change. The Twins are very slider heavy in their development. Imagine how good his slider might be in a couple of years? I could easily see the introduction of a curve or sinker in his 2nd season to give at least a 4th "show me" pitch to keep the batters timing off. I don't want them to stop with what they've done with discovering arms later on, but what might they do with an almost ready made arm? Also, despite SWR, Festa, Matthews and others, as of now, you have to dip down to A ball to find the next wave. And as this moment, we have control of our top three through 2027. I think this is the perfect opportunity to go the college arm in the 1st round. I'm probably dreaming, but a down season for Laviolette and Conrad in the OF...Conrad due to injury and little time at the D1 level...might one of them possibly slide to our comp pick at 36? Again, I'm probably just dreaming here. BTW, you mentioned a college catcher in the last podcast that you saw as a possible option for the Twins a couple rounds later on. I can't recall who that was. Could you give a name and possible brief breakdown on who that was?

I think Falvey will have the best interst in the team and its future. The question will be in a couple weeks if this team actually has a legitimate chance to make the playoffs vs just a mathematical chance. But reinforcements or not, they won't be in contention...thus not being sellers...unless some arms get healthy and continue improving, and bats like Lewis and Wallner suddenly right themselves. If they DO sell, I think they've got a handful of interesting options available that could bring back some half way decent returns. I don't see any non pending FA being moved at this time however. As far as the reinforcement options: KEASCHALL appears to have a bright future and there's room for him on the roster right now. No way he's as good as he looked in his debut, but he's quite talented. In fact, we may have a small embarrassment of INF/utility options to join him fairly soon. RODRIGUEZ just needs to stay healthy....for once...and he'll get his shot. If he is brought up I'd like to see him play daily and grow and learn. I don't agree on RAYA debuting unless things get desperate. Despite being on the 40 man, I've always thought the plan was for him to be ready in 2026. Of course, a rash of injuries this season could alter that idea. He's got a ways to go, but his last few starts are encouraging. If they are going to monitor PRIELIPP'S innings, he could definitely be a factor for an inning at a time. But if they aren't in the playoff picture, I'd just keep him on the current progression plan. I'm going to say no way on JENKINS. How about just keeping him healthy and productive for the rest of this season and get him ready for 2026?

I still don't have a problem with some LH bats facing LHP. Not only is the roster not big enough to offer a series of platoon options, but a LH bat never develops against LHP unless an opportunity is given. That doesn't mean Larnach should necessarily be that guy. But I don't understand some of the apathy towards him. While not a star player, he's a quality 450PA appearance above average hitter against RHP. I prefer him as a #6-7 hitter in a deeper, more productive lineup, but until someone better is ready to replace him, he's a perfectly solid bat/player. He's not even close to Bader defensively, but we're talking g comparison to a GG CF playing LF. Larnach takes decent routes, catches all he gets to, and has a good arm. And I'd still like him as a part time OF and DH, and not necessarily a daily OF starter. But I've seen a lot worse OF employed by the Twins and other teams through the years. Now, when Rodriguez and Jenkins are ready, I think this conversation changes somewhat, but for now, I'm more than OK with Larnach as part of the mostly daily lineup.

THE GOOD: Ryan remains one of the best SP in the league. (Rank them how you will). SWR has suddenly looked like the very solid young arm we saw for most of 2024. Festa has been a little up and down, but we've also seen a lot of his 2024 self, and the potential he's got. Even in his last loss, he settled down and pitched well. He's got a bright future. Most of the pen is still been throwing strong. My goodness has Varland been good! Hope his arm doesn't fall off! THE BAD: Correa continues to flounder at the plate. I know the Twins are tight-lipped about injuries, but it appears nothing is wrong physically. He was great last season pre and post injury. I can't believe a 30yo who works hard on his game and his conditioning...and was good in 2024...has suddenly gotten old. I just can't believe his bat has truly died so soon. Hopefully he's really just having a bizarre and horrible 1st half. Wallner has been great the past 2 seasons, and had a good start to this season, and a blistering rehab in AAA coming back from his injury. The calendar has flipped to July. Does he suddenly get his timing back? Everything I just said about Wallner is the same with Lewis. He is SUPER talented. When does the switch turn on? When 3 of your top 4 bats are struggling, how can your offense hope to support your staff? MISC: Id love to have Bader back as a 4th-5th OF. But he's almost certainly looking for a bump in pay, and years, that I doubt the Twins could match. He's probably traded. I'd love to have Castro back for AT LEAST one more year as he's GOOD and his ideal replacements are probably 6 months to a year away. But again, he's going to be looking for a bigger and longer deal than the Twins can probably offer. He's probably traded. Can't believe I'm saying this, but it's possible Sabato has re-established himself as a prospect. And that's ALL he still is. But coming out of college as a sophomore in the weird 2020 season, he was considered the possibly BEST BAT OVERALL in that draft. There's been articles written about a different approach he's taken this season. Even though the IL is a hitters league, I'd still leave him down there for a few week before any kind of promotion/look-see at the ML level. But he WAS a good prospect once upon a time for good reason. I'm still not sold on Julien, despite being a previous believer, until I see more consistency. But if he continues through July what he's been doing, yes you promote him. He's a 2B/1B/DH option with a potentially really good bat. You find room for that. And it might not be hard to do so if trades happen. With all due respect to what France HAS DONE with the glove and pressure moments, he's also been horrible without runners on base and isn't part of the future. But when and if Sabato is brought up, you absolutely have no idea what you have unless he plays DAILY. Julien gets to fill in at different spots and shouldn't be part of any 1B platoon. I absolutely have NO IDEA what to think about Clemens. Generally speaking, I've been surprised that he plays pretty solid defense wherever he plays. A LH bat with power and can be solid at multiple positions is interesting. Without breaking down his entire ML career, I'm willing to bet this is the most productive he's ever been. That doesn't mean he's a KEEPER. But if Castro is gone via trade or after the season and not re-signed, there is room for at least 1 utility player in 2026. Schobel looked like he was ready to make a statement for '26, but he got injured right after he reached AAA. Culpepper and DeBarge are at least 6 ML months away. ASSUMING no re-signs, that means an opening for Clemens, or maybe dipping in to the system for Will Holland? Or Eales if he finishes the season strong? Getting WAY of topic for Nick's OP about good things. But I wasn't the one to start it, LOL. But it's not hard to squint and see some positive outcomes for this team yet in 2025. But it's also not hard to squint at a deadline of change and future possibilities.

I'm not holding my breath. But if it's true, it could be some of the best news Twins fans have received in some time. Up until the past 2 seasons, I've never felt the Pohlads were terrible owners. Not the best, and they never seemed to ever be "all in" to produce a winner, and never seemed to really embrace the Twins with any love, but they certainly haven't been the worst owners. Anyone with a forward thinking mind and any love of baseball would be an improvement. Here's hoping the report is real, and we have new owners before the next offseason.

To this point, Wallner has a career OPS of .833. And that includes a somewhat SSS from his debut that was considerably lower, and his current OPS after a really bad month of June. His OPS for 2023-2024 was .885. If you believe Nick's assertion about how great Wallner has been based on his career OPS so far as hyperbole for a player who hasn't been around for 5-6 years, I think you have an arguement. But if you look at a Twins player producing at a .833 OPS level to begin his career, yes, he's made a great debut and would rank amongst the top in Twins history. Now, he needs to get RIGHT again and get his timing back. But to ignore those numbers, even in a somewhat brief career, and just dismiss him as one of the best debuts and performance in history would be incorrect. If he gets back to performing as he did for 2023-24, and a solid start to this season before his injury, and hits the .800 mark when this season is done, what say you then? His continuation of power and production and an .800 OPS can indeed make him one of the top Twins hitters. His career is far from done simply because he's struggling at the moment. IMPO, there's a lot of angst about the disappointment in the team's season, and frustration is making anyone struggling currently an easy target to aim that frustration. I for one am a fan and believer and can't wait for him to get going again.

Klein and Rozak had a bad game that belies what they've done the rest of the season. Stuff happens. When do we start to talk about how good Rosario has been since his poor start? Hidalgo had been good and not so good. But isn't this his full season back from surgery? Nice to see Emma back healthy. Can't wait to see him back at St Paul, do great, and come up to the Twins before the season is done. I'm telling you to watch this Doktorczyk kid. He's a mix of Matthews and Ober from watching him. Hopefully he has a good 2nd half to this season. But don't be surprised if he's a fast riser in 2026.

Seriously, they may have to make a move to get Julien up one of these days. I'm not fully convinced, but he's starting to look like the 2023 version we thought might be part of the future. There's even younger guys i like even more, but IF his bat and approach REALLY are back, you find room for a LH hitter of his POTENTIAL. McCusker has been suffering from the "I was so close to getting a chance" syndrom, IMO. Glad to see him doing better. I still have no idea if he has real ML potential or not. And there's a handful of guys behind him younger, and also filled with potential. Still, it's so hard to not want to see if he's POSSIBLY a late bloomer who might be good. But speaking of RH OF, why is Fedko still at AA? His AVG is only OK, hovering around .260, but a .384 OB% and on track for a 20/20 season and amongst the league leaders in most categories, who is possibly blocking him at AAA? DeAndrade is a sleeper to a lot of people due to youth and a 2024 season mostly wiped out by injury. There's a ton of talent and potential there. But with Culpepper now at AA, he SHOULD be seeing a TON of work at SS. Come on Twins! I have a soft spot for LHP. I'm pleased we have a couple good ones in the system, and I'm hoping for a couple more in the upcoming draft. But if someone asked me tomorrow who I want moved to the pen, I'd pick MaCleod all day over Prielipp, even though Prielipp could be in the Twins pen by September. That's a combination of Prielipp's ultimate potential, as well as Macleod's. Like many of the Twins drafted arms, MaCleod was drafted for potential, though I can't recall at the moment if it was before or after his TJ. Slowly but surely he's built himself up and added velocity. So far, his hits per 9 is good. But his BB per 9 is around 4. One good metric, one bad. His 9.8 K per 9 is solid, though not spectacular. Despite being drafted in the 5th round of 2021, he didn't really throw until 2023. So he's only in his 3rd pro season. And he keeps getting better. I never dismiss any prospect going to the pen too early. But a good hit per 9 and not so great BB per 9, and a solid but not great K per 9 tells me he'd be a great candidate in the pen where his velocity and stuff might play up to make him a 10+K option with enough offerings to make him viable against RH bats as well. Have to think LONG TERM, IMO. Speaking of LONG TERM: "Jaylin Nowlen has given up zero earned runs over his past six appearances and 11 innings." I'm slightly embarrassed because I've been projecting this kid going back to last year even. You don't expect much from a 19th round pick. But when he's LH and flashes a mid 90's FB you pay attention. The 24yo is an inconsistent as you will ever find in an arm. He had a strange 3/4 ish "sling" delivery that should destroy LH batters but also hide the ball decently against RH batters. He allows less than a hit per 9, but has a BB of 4 per. But he also K's 10+ per 9. Imagine what he might do with better control? He is one of those WILD CARD arms many don't follow in the system, or know about. As a SP, he'd have games of 5 hits in 5 IP with 5BB and 8 K and lose.. His next start would be 5IP, 3 hits, 2BB and 4K and win. Just all over the place where he'd K like crazy but have a bunch of hits and BB, and the next game he'd have 2-3K's and just a couple BB but few hits and dominate. This kid is an absolute enigma. He wins without K anyone, and K's a ton but allows too many BB and loses. Which is why I've been screaming for everyone to watch this kid when he moves to the pen. And now he has. He has some stuff that is just NASTY at times! And you can live with a little higher BB % in the pen when you have a high K% and allow less than a hit per. If he could ever take his BB% down to about 2.5-3 from 4 he could be dangerous. He's been a favorite follow of Seth and myself. If this still only 24yo gets any kind of real control/command, you could see him with the Twins in 2026. "Jaylin Nowlen has given up zero earned runs over his past six appearances and 11 innings." That isn't magical, but it's a something and a someone you might want to watch.

If the All Star Game was selected only on merit for the current season, Buck should have been voted in as a starter. And that's really the only comment I have.

I'm happy they won the series against a quality club. I only got to watch enough of the game to see how good Ryan looked, and how bad Topa looked. Topa hasn't exactly had a bad season. He's perfectly acceptable as one of the last men in the pen. And let's be honest, the pen was pretty tapped coming in today's game. The "plan" would have been to score enough runs with Ryan pitching to NOT go extra innings. But this goes to show what can happen when your rotation depth has been wiped out by 3 injuries, and also, at some point, EVERY SINGLE PEN ARM will be asked at some point to pitch in a high leverage situation. The horrible throw to 1B by Topa never should have happened. Hard to say that single play lost the game, but it was a major error. I'm certainly not ignoring Jax having a bad day. But day by day, week to week, season to season, Jax is a very good pen arm. It's unfortunate that today was not a good day for him. And I'm not picking on Topa directly either. The Twins have won games against pen arms, some quite good ones, so it works both ways. Just saying, it shows how difficult it is to build a pen where even your 7th and 8th guys sometimes have to be trusted. It's still a good series win against a good team.

Cody, I appreciate the thought process that went in to this. On paper, I can see someone sense made of this idea. But I say absolutely not. High end stating pitching is the rarest of finds. While I still believe Lopez is the Twins #1 SP, Ryan is really close behind. And a healthy Ober is almost as good as those two. Meanwhile, no disrespect to Duran, the Twins have Wallner, Buxton, and Larnach already in place. Rodriguez and Jenkins are a matter of ML months from joining them. Currently, we have a very interesting collection of OF at AA all performing well in Gonzalez, Rosario, Olivar, and Fedko. And there's a strong arguement 2 of them should be at AAA really, really soon. Ryan is not only a building block for 2026, but keeping the rotation in tact not only gives the 2026 version of the Twins a chance to be good, but gives more time for Matthews, Festa, SWR, Morris, and others a chance to gain ML experience and take the next step. It even allows some very talented younger arms a chance to get that much closer. With control of all 3 top arms through 2027, any sort of move should take place at the deadline next year, or even the offseason beyond that. Even with a single season of control, we saw Burns bring back a decent return a year ago. So no.

I'd love to have Bader back for 2026 as a 4th-5th OF who is even better than I was lead to believe defensively. He brings a flair that's fun to watch. And hes got some pop on him and runs well, even if he doesn't steal a ton of bases. But someone is going to pay him $8-10M per season on a 2 or 3 year deal to play CF for them next season. There's no way the Twins can afford that. I'm also a big fan and believer in Castro, even if he slumps once in a while. He's an excellent Super Utility player, and an above average player at a couple of spots...usually. And while I think there's a handful of guys that might be very similar in the near future, I don't see them ready until some point in 2026 or '27: Schobel, Culpepper, and DeBarge to name the most prominent 3. But he's going to want a bigger and longer deal than the Twins are probably going to be able to afford. And as of NOW, it's going to be BAU for the Twins because it doesn't look like new ownership will be in place until this fall/winter at the earliest. So what happens next? It really depends on the next 3 weeks. IF the quiet bats wake up and come to life, IF Matthews comes back soon to help the rotation...(no slight to SWR or Festa)...and Lopez really is back in August, they could stand pat at the deadline and ride this season out to see if they have a shot at the playoffs. But if they keep playing .500 ball, or worse, and don't get in a groove of quality play, they really should be sellers come the deadline. I think Castro and Bader have a chance to bring back someone usable for the future. Exactly who that might be, and what level and quality is open to debate. I think Paddack might bring back a sneaky solid return from a team needing a 4th or 5th starter because while a contender, they may have a hole in the back end of their rotation. Along those same lines, Coulombe might be one of the best, if not the best, LHRP available for a contending team. He might bring back a good AA pen arm that projects well, or a solid A ball prospect at worst. I don't see anything other than a flier for France or Vazquez. And again, that's IF they start playing better and get back to .500 or slightly better over the next 3 weeks. I really don't want to see anyone else moved that's still got control until the offseason. Assuming the current FO is still in place, they need a good long, hard look at the 2026 team they want to build and make any moves of that nature then, IMO. But if things just don't look good, then get SOMETHING for the FA to be. **Coulombe would be at the top of my list of guys to chase on a bring back once the offseason begins, regardless of age.

I got to watch part of the game and need to compartmentalize my comments: 1] Adams wasn't exactly great. I was encouraged by his FB sitting around 94. That's not where he was when drafted. I still think the tag play at 1B was an out. That didn't help. The number of hits was bad, and so were the 5 runs. But for a kid making his ML debut and being asking to eat innings for the team, it could have been worse. I think there's enough to work with there to be a solid middle man, but we'll see. 2] I don't know that Clemens is ever going to be much of a "hitter", but damned if he doesn't have some power that makes a difference once in a while. I haven't seen anything to say he isn't at least decent at multiple positions. I could see him as part of the 2026 team if he doesn't suddenly regress. 3] Rocco has played a lot more "small ball" last year and this year. I wish he would do more. Tell me it's not going to be hard to say goodbye to Castro if traded or not re-signed? 4] Tip of the cap for the lineup to not give up, despite losing out on other opportunities yet again. 5] The loss of Lopez and the injury to Ober have really derailed the staff. And I'm not trying to blow smoke...but...I've been encouraged by SWR looking better. And I've been encouraged by Festa's last couple of starts as well. Allowing 4 early runs is not conducive to winning with a struggling offense. But he didn't melt down. 5 hits in 6 IP with only 1 BB and 7 K's are good, underlying numbers. We're still in trouble for the 5th spot for sure. And the offense is still the biggest problem even with 2 wins in a row. Hopefully Matthews is back soon to help fill in. But I'm just not as down on the young arms as some. Go Ryan! Let's make it a sweep Sunday!

DeAndrade is still really young, and he's got a lot of talent. Staying healthy is key for him as most of his 2024 was ruined by injury. Cossetti's calling card has always been bat potential. I'm still wondering, as a work in progress behind the plate, if he wouldn't be better as a 1B? But the bat potential has always been intriguing if he can be at least a decent/solid backstop. FEDKO: A late blooming 25yo that wasn't on anyone's radar? He's got a really good OB%, and is on pace for a 20/20 season. I don't see how he's blocked by anyone at AAA. It's time to see what he might do at St Paul. JULIEN: Long term, I'm having a hard time seeing his future with the Twins despite looking like a potential fixture following 2023, considering Lewis, Lee, Keaschall, Culpepper, and probably DeBarge as well. But if he really has adjusted, and really found himself as a hitter again, you find room for quality hitters. And the Twins offense needs a spark for sure. A role as a 1B/2B/DH might not be out of the question still. GONZALEZ: Despite being a year older, and healthier, is part of the reason his K/BB looking even better at AA...SSS granted...because the pitchers have better control? If he's really and truly reigned in some of his over aggressive tendencies for maximum contact due to development, perhaps facing arms with better control has him more focused on his personal hitting zone? Might he be due for a cup of coffee at St Paul to end the season? ROSARIO: I think a lot of people have been selling him short. He made a lot of improvement in 2023 and was the league MVP. His 2024 was delayed/ruined by injury. Then he got off to a horrible start this season. He's been really good since then. He's not old, he's not a horrible athlete, and he has a big arm and potentially really good power. Like GG, he doesn't have to be a great OF to be viable. But he at least has to be solid. As I stated in another OP, he and GG, and Fedko, and perhaps Olivar might provide even more OF depth and possibilities fairly soon for the Twins beyond Rodriguez and Jenkins. SABATO: Hold up your hand if you were a bit surprised the Twins held on to him following 2024? I honestly thought 50/50 just for depth purposes. His 2024 was the worst season of his pro career thus far. Maybe it's just because he was a 1st round pick, or maybe the Twins still saw something we couldn't. But the 2025 version of him was the hitter the Twins THOUGHT they were drafting, and that we as fans hoped we would get. He only recently turned 26yo. And he's had some injuries. But you just don't usually expect a #1 pick to "find himself" as a late 25yo. But honestly, do we care? The Dodgers Max Muncy didn't become a quality, regular ML player until he was 27yo. And since then, he's been very, very good. I ONLY use Muncy as an example for a late blooming player, and NOT as an expected comp. Let me make that very clear. But let's take a moment to look at Sabato's combined numbers in 2025 so far between Wichita and his recent AAA promotion: 14Dbls/ 12HR/ 39RBI/ .289/ .383/ .518/ .902 in 253 PA in right about half a season. This is not even the same ballplayer that was being labeled a bust before this season. What does it mean going forward? Who knows? There's still a major jump to the ML level, pun slightly intended. But considering what he did in 2yrs of college, his draft status as maybe the biggest and best BAT in the 2020 draft, and his breakthrough...and there's been some interesting reports about changes he's made...perhaps we need to re-examine his ML potential. Perhaps, just perhaps, he wasn't a bust as a draft pick after all. We'll see how the rest of the season goes, but if France were moved, or an injury were to happen, maybe he should be looked at later in the season?

Unfortunately, I'm one of those who reads data, reads reports, and looks at hilights, and at numbers once ST is over. I just don't have the time to watch MILB games. I may read a TON, but that's not the same as watching. So I really appreciate comments by those who watch the games and provide insight. I tend to agree with @jmlease1that better health has probably aides in Gonzalez making such a turnaround this season. But the kid is a year older now, so there's probably a little mental maturity in his approach settling in. And the one thing we're not privy to is all the hard work these prospects put in during the offseason. I get the loose Arraez comparisons. I also think there's some Eddie Rosario mixed in there as well, in regard to a want to swing, make contact, and try to make something happen. The numbers and success he's had this season seem to indicate he's been reeling in and controlling some of that free swinging, make contact desire. In other words, he's understanding where his SUCCESSFUL zone is, vs just making contact for the sake of doing so. With a potentially good bat and a strong arm, he doesn't have to be great defensively to be a a regular contributor. But he does need to be at least solid in the field. Is he again a top 10 prospect? IDK. Maybe. You could make that arguement for sure. But the top 10 looks pretty good to me. But if he keeps this up, he could find a role in 2026 with the Twins at some point. Just as a fan, I've been encouraged by his season and im starting to wonder if a cup of coffee at AAA to end the season might be in his future. But I've also been surprised and encouraged by the sudden development of Fedko, and wondering when he gets a promotion. A 25yo on pace for a 20/20 season and a good OB% makes me take notice. Olivar is not having a bad season either. And after a very poor start, Kala'i Rosario has been much better as well. Just saying, Rodriguez and Jenkins might not be the only OF help the team in the near future.

I'm really sorry, but for once I just don't have the time or mental strength to sit down and read everything presented here. Very unlike me, but it is what it is. The Twins are in a weird place where we can debate a future owner, vs how much longer the Pohlads are in charge. Do the new owners, assuming new ownership in the next 6 months, recognize some really good things the current FO has done over the years and want to assist them more? Do they mostly sit pat and see what the FO does for 2026 and then make a decision? Or do they come in with sweeping changes? Personally, I believe a new ownership should stick with what's in place and evaluate what's on hand. IMO, history has shown that's the smart way to take over any business. For instance, I think the Johnson lead scouting and draft department is really good. Falvey has implemented a lot of good changes throughout the MILB system. What might the current FO do with a little more $ flexibility initially. Falvey has always looked to the present, as well as the future. He's NEVER done a Dombroski move of trading away a ton of prospects for a short term gain. Of course, he's also never had a huge wallet to add a lot in FA the way Dombroski had had either. I don't oppose making moves. Maybe the Twins can trade and still add. But honestly, what does moving Bader, Paddack, and France really bring back prospect wise? Nothing more than a couple A level players. You really want to trade away Duran, Jax, whoever? You want a complete rebuild? How has that worked in the past? How has that worked for the Orioles, the most recent team I can think of. It took YEARS to be viable again. But not every prospect has turned out, and they have no pitching. Their complete teardown hasn't really provided the results they wanted. And I'm even going to bring up the A's as any sort of example. I trust the character of Falvey in regard to the long term outlook of the Twins. That's ALWAYS been his approach. And I have no doubt IF he made a grade or two, it would be in the best future of the Twins. But he also knows his butt is on the line, and he's not going to do something stupid for the Twins, or his own reputation. Current ownership is NOT going to add payroll, barring a huge surprise. And Falvey is just not going to tear things down. It's just not his nature. Much like 2023, this team, despite being constructed weirdly, has a chance to rebound. If Matthews comes back decently, if SWR KEEPS looking solid, if Festa can find the consistency he showed in 2024, the rotation isn't sunk until Lopez returns. If Royce and Wallner and Correa suddenly remember who they are, things change offensively. A lot of IF'S to be certain. But the Twins were hovering about .500 in 2023. Then they went on a run. Similar to 2023, this current team had a bad beginning, then a hot streak, and then finished poorly. I am ABSOLUTELY against any kind up blowup and rebuild. Even my reluctant love for the Vikings being cursed has shown my recently that smart decisions can make a rebuild on the fly makes sense. The problem with the Twins is WHO IN THE HELL IS GOING TO OWN THEM IN 6 MONTHS. And that's a difference in the trade deadlines. Falvey won't sacrifice a team he might be in charge of a year from now. And with a whole half season to play yet, how could you dismiss Festa and SWR improving and Matthews back and Lopez back in August? How about Lewis, and Waller and Correa getting their crap together? Keaschall back maybe making a difference? There's still a chance this team actually realizes their potential. But if they don't, and just cave over the next few weeks, I don't think this team is devoid of talent. But I'd rather follow the Brewers attitude and just let the kids play. Let Ohl and Adams have their shot. Go ahead and let Rodriguez get a shot of he's healthy. Maybe promote Kline from AA. If it's not working, change what you're doing. I'm not saying the 2025 Twins are awful and destined for failure. There's a legitimate chance this team rebounds with the talent on hand. But I can also see a 2026 team that might need 2025 to get ready.

So I lost my entire post due to WHATEVER. (Heavy sigh). Parades is a late round pick. He's done very well in his role overall, but doesn't K enough to be a viable prospect. If he sticks to the pen exclusively, and gets his K numbers up, he might have a chance as a middle reliever. There have been discussions that Bohorquez could be an excellent RP. But for a 20yo with good stuff, I'd keep him starting for now. Hopefully an appearance like this will get him back on track. I'm really surprised to be saying this, is it possible Gabriel Gonzalez as a top 100 prospect a couple years ago might be accurate? I've heard he has a really good arm. But I've also heard he's a poor OF defensively. Albeit it was a really high sky with wind, the one time I've seen him as ST and he looked lost. That's a poor 1 game represention for any prospect. And again, I can't believe I'm saying this for ANY prospect, much less a 21yo, but when you are doing THIS WELL in the same 34 games you spent at A+, why would the FO not just accept lightening in a bottle and get him to AAA? I could understand them seeing something we don't in his development that they want to smooth out. But I've never understood not promoting lightening players.

You watch a lot of MILB that I just don't have time to do. I wish I did. Im a HUGE believer in Wallner, and think his defense is underrated, though not great. I really don't know how good McCusker is, or is not, defensively. I understand he has a good arm. I have serious doubts about the 6' 8" McCusker ever being able to control the zone enough to be a viable hitter at the ML level. BUT, if he COULD control the zone ENOUGH to K about 30-35%...which I know is high...but could BB just enough to make pitchers work, with his tremendous power, I could still see a .225-.230 hitter with DANGEROUS power. It's the power and his ability to scare pitchers enough for not giving them easy outs that could make him a decent 5th OF/DH option. The problem is, even for a team struggling for offense, the FO seems blind to guys they signed, but won't give a chance to because of expectations. But you NEVER KNOW unless you allow opportunity. Unfortunately for McCusker, his opportunity was a couple weeks ago. And he BARELY PLAYED. Right now, there isn't opportunity. While I'm NOT a FO hater, one of my biggest beefs with them is not giving opportunities to players already on hand. I much prefer the Brewers philosophy at this point.

You watch a lot of MILB that I just don't have time to do. I wish I did. Im a HUGE believer in Wallner, and think his defense is underrated, though not great. I really don't know how good McCusker is, or is not, defensively. I understand he has a good arm. I have serious doubts about the 6' 8" McCusker ever being able to control the zone enough to be a viable hitter at the ML level. BUT, if he COULD control the zone ENOUGH to K about 30-35%...which I know is high...but could BB just enough to make pitchers work, with his tremendous power, I could still see a .225-.230 hitter with DANGEROUS power. It's the power and his ability to scare pitchers enough for not giving them easy outs that could make him a decent 5th OF/DH option. The problem is, even for a team struggling for offense, the FO seems blind to guys they signed, but won't give a chance to because of expectations. But you NEVER KNOW unless you allow opportunity. Unfortunately for McCusker, his opportunity was a couple weeks ago. And he BARELY PLAYED. Right now, there isn't opportunity. While I'm NOT a FO hater, one of my biggest beefs with them is not giving opportunities to players already on hand. I much prefer the Brewers philosophy at this point.

Going to offer up a crazy idea that might not be so crazy after all. What about Funderburk back down...I think he's just an extra arm for a couple of days...and bring up BOTH Adams and Ohl and use them as a piggyback duo? I know Ohl just got to AAA, but he's been really good at AA, has been somewhat on the radar for some time now despite a disappointing 2024, and is off to a solid start at AAA so far. There's at least a reasonable chance the duo might get you 5 innings. 6 is probably a stretch, but not impossible. I'm certainly intrigued by bringing Kline to from AA, but IMO this idea might make more sense. You could consider the recently added veteran Gillispie as part of a duo option as well, but I'd drop Wentz and add Ohl, and make the move I've suggested. Wentz offers very little unless the Twins think he's young enough to "tweak" as a pen option. If that's the case, find another way to add Ohl, or hope Wentz passes through waivers unclaimed. But I'd rather give a tryout to arms in the system, one already on the 40 man, instead of recycling another waiver wire option.

I wanted Cabrera previously as he keeps looking like he's just about ready to figure it out. Maybe he is? Alcantara might be making too much $ to take on the risk of he never gets all the way back We wouldn't trade for Henriquez after letting him walk would we? Could Dane Myers be the replacement for Bader in 2026 by getting him now? Not sure anyone here solves the Twins largest holes, but I'd have some interest here.

Noah really doesn't have much power. His career high is 9 currently. I think his recent "explosion" is probably more of an outlier than advancement, particularly in the more hitter friendly International League. He's a career. 241 hitter so far, but that's including his horrendous 2024 when he only hit .173. What he does well is control the zone and work the count. He career OB% is .382. That number right there is the reason to hope he can be a respectable ML hitter. Reportedly, hes solid behind the plate and calls a good game. He's way ahead of about anyone else in the system in S%. He probably is the #3 guy now, and might be in 2026. Now we just need to see his bat take the next step at AAA.

A lot of you all need to STOP with your obsession with catchers being a top draft choice. Remember Derek Parks? He was going to be a stud, right? Nope. So was Rotveldt, and he's mediocre at best. If you want to hate on Jeffers, that's on you. But he was a 2nd round pick who's turned out OK. The Twins HAVEN'T ignored the catcher position, they just haven't added anyone as high as Jeffers recently. They've actually drafted a lot of catchers over the last few years. Unfortunately, they've mostly struck out. Bad scouting or guys just not developing? IDK. But Cardenas has reached AAA and if his contract approach can work, his defense and arm plays. Diaw and Ferrer were drafted last year. They are both athletic catchers with offensive potential. But they are also both 2-3 years away. But Winkel and Cossetti have seemed to bottom out so far. Do you just think you draft a catcher and expect him to be a stud receiver and quality hitter in a couple of years and everything is fine? It just doesn't work that way unless you get a Mauer type player. Instead, you draft or sign a collection of players and hope to develop a really good #1. If you want to blame the Twins for not yet finding another STUD who could replace Jeffers, or be a future All Star kind of backstop, then go ahead and and rake the FO and scouting department.

Also to Jamie, in the last podcast, you mentioned a later round CATCHER who you liked, but I missed the name. Would you please repeat the option you mentioned.

Jamie, just curious, Bremner vs Wood, even though they are projected so close together. IIRC correctly, Wood missed a lot of the 2024 season but has a ton of talent. And no doubt his CWS gives him momentum. Both have good stuff and potential. Why Bremner in particular?